-This
was the 10th meeting between the nations (as well as the final match between
the nations).

-The
previous match between the nations, as well as the previous on Czech soil, and
the previous Czechoslovakia victory was the first leg of these World Cup
Qualifiers in Prague on October 13, 1976 that Czechoslovakia won 2 to 0.

-The
previous match between the nations, in the same stadium, as well as Scotland’s
previous victory, was another World Cup qualifier on September 26, 1973 that
Scotland won 2 to 1.

Scotland
players: Jardine, McGrain, Dalglish and Jordan and Czechoslovakia Players: Dobias
and Nehoda were present that day (on the field and/or the substitutes bench).

Czechoslovakia’s
Jozef Capkovic’s twin brother Jan also played in that match.

Vaclav
Jezek was still Czechoslovakia’s Manager.

Jordan
once again scored for Scotland and Zdenek Nehoda scored Czechoslovakia’s goal.

-Many
of these players took part in another World Cup qualifier on October 17, 1973
in Bratislava that Czechoslovakia won 1 to 0.

Scotland
players: Jardine, McGrain, Dalglish, Forsyth and Jordan and Czechoslovakia
Players: Dvorak, Pollak, Gajdusek and Nehoda were present
that day (on the field and/or the substitutes bench).

Czechoslovakia’s
Jozef Capkovic’s twin brother Jan also played in that match.

Vaclav
Jezek was still Czechoslovakia’s Manager.

Zdenek
Nehoda scored Czechoslovakia’s winner from a penalty kick.

-Scotland’s Forsyth and Hartford and
Czechoslovakia’s Dobias and Pollak faced one another in a scoreless tie in a Brazil
Independence Cup match on July 2, 1972 in Porto Alegre.

Czechoslovakia’s
Jozef Capkovic’s twin brother Jan also played in that match.

-
Scotland’s previous and only away victory was in their very first encounter, a
Friendly on May 15, 1937 in Prague that they won 3 to 1.

-Scotland
would not play Czechoslovakia until its break-up in 1994. They would face Czech
Republic in a UEFA European Championship Qualifier in the same stadium (Glasgow, Hampden Park) on March 31, 1999 and lose
1-2.

Scotland’s
first win over Czech Republic would be in a Friendly on March 3, 2010 that they
would win 1-0 in the same stadium (Glasgow, Hampden Park).

-This
was Scotland Manager Ally Mc Leod’s first match in the Qualifiers.

He
had been appointed on May 17, 1977.

-The
other team in this qualifying group was Wales. Scotland had to defeat Czechoslovakia
to then face Wales on October 12th, 1977 at Anfield to qualify for
Argentina.

-Months
before, in the summertime, Scotland had embarked on a successful tour of South
America.

-In
the 18th
minute, Willie Johnston, took a corner from the right that was headed in by Joe
Jordan.

-In
the 35th minute, Willie Johnston sent in a cross from the left,
Czech goalkeeper Pavol Michalik caught the ball in the air but collided with
Jordan and lost the ball. Hartford picked up the loose ball and scored into the
empty net. This was Asa Hartford’s first ever goal for Scotland.

-In
the 54th minute, Masson took a corner from the left side that was
headed back by McQueen near the edge of the box for Jardine to head back into
the box towards Dalglish who in turn headed it in the net.

-In
the 61st minute, Dobias was substituted by Dusan Gallis. Dobias had
been hurt in a collision with Dalglish.

-In
the 62nd minute, Dvorak was booked after a foul on Jordan.

Jordan
was the last man, by current rules Dvorak would have been sent off.

-In
the 80th minute, Czechoslovakia got a consolation goal from a long
distance shot from Gajdusek.

-
At end of the match, the Scottish crowd chanted ‘We Want Ally’ and ‘Bring On
Wales’.

-This
loss effectively eliminated Czechoslovakia from the World Cup. They became the
First ever European Champions to not qualify for the succeeding World Cup.

-Scotland
clinched World Cup qualification on October 12, 1977 at Liverpool’s Anfield
Road by defeating Wales (2-0) in controversial fashion.

Scotland
were awarded a penalty kick (scored by Masson) for a handball committed by
Wales’ Joe Jones. However, television replays clearly showed that the handball
was actually committed by Scotland’s Joe Jordan.

They
qualified for their second successive World Cup. They would qualify for five
straight World Cups until 1990.

-The
following Czechoslovakia played their final matches for their nation in this
match: Jozef Capkovic, Jozef Moder, Miroslav Paurik, Karel Dvorak, Dusan Gallis
and Lubomir Knapp.

Miroslav
Paurik earned all of his four caps in the 1977 calendar year.

-Scotland
had similarly blocked Czechoslovakia’s path for the 1974 World Cup
Qualification.

Czechoslovakia
for their part had blocked Scotland’s access to the 1962 World Cup by defeating
them in a playoff in Brussels on November 29, 1961 (4-2 win).

-Scottish
Willie Johnston’s 1978 World Cup participation would be marred after a failed
Drugs test.